Chronicles of the Chosen One
by ShadyDeadMan
Summary: Ariella is the Chosen One, she leads a ragtag bunch of vagabonds and misfits to find the greatest prize of all for the village of Arroyo, The Holy Geck.
1. Chapter 1

**Timeline**

2141 – The Vault Dweller is born.

2161 – The Events of Fallout 1 Begin with the Vault Dweller leaving the vault in search of a water chip (Age 20).

2163 – The Vault Dweller defeats the Master (Age 22).

2165 – The Vault Dweller heads north with a group of followers, both vault dwellers and wastelanders. The settlement of Arroyo is founded by the vault dweller and his followers (Age 24).

2167 – The construction of the village is completed. John Rico (The Vault Dweller) marries Laura, the only survivor of the Master's followers (Age 26).

2168 – The 12 leaders of the tribe are chosen by the Vault Dweller.

2169 – The vault dweller's first son is born (Age 28).

2170 – The Vault Dweller begins his quest to unite all the local tribes.

2171 – 2187 – The Vault Dweller and Laura have another 4 sons and 3 daughters before their last child is born in 2188.

2188 – The vault dweller's youngest daughter and child Kathalyn (The present Chief Elder of the Tribe) is born (Age 47).

2207 – Laura dies age 64; He begins his memoirs after the funeral. The next year is spent fully on finishing the work that will later be taught to and inspire the tribe with the heroic journey and exploits of the Vault Dweller.

2208 – The Vault Dweller (Age 67) never having got over the death of his wife Laura leaves Arroyo without a word to anyone. Many rumours surround his departure but no one really knows why he left. He leaves behind a very large family and a growing tribe, knowing they will finally take the test of the Temple of Trials to prove their worth and call themselves the tribal elders. The Vault Dweller's youngest daughter begins her training to take her place as the first Chief Elder of the Tribe at the young age of only 20, although all consider her wise beyond her years.

2210 – The Vault Dweller's youngest daughter passes her test in The Temple of Trials and becomes the first Chief Elder. The other leaders of the tribe begin their own tests and will eventually form the Council of Elders.

2214 – Joshua is the firstborn of Anastasia and Jacob Ravenscroft.

2216 – Ariella (The Chosen One) is born, second eldest of Anastasia and Jacob. Her twin brother Phoenix is born minutes later.

2217 – 2240 – Anastasia and Jacob have another five daughters and three sons

2240 – By 2240 the tribe has grown to over 300 from its humble beginnings of the thirty or more followers that accompanied the Vault Dweller northwards to find the village of Arroyo, 75 years ago.

2241 – The Events of Fallout 2 begin with The Chosen One and her brother taking the test in the Temple of Trials. Ariella and Phoenix are both 25 years old. The village Chief Elder seems greatly aged beyond her 53 years, but maintains a strong hold over the tribe and its 12 elders. The Vault Dweller would be a hundred years old if he still lives.

--

**Chronicles of the Chosen One**

**Prologue:**

**Arroyo, **

**Legacy of the Vault Dweller**

**25****th**** July 2241, Midnight, The Village of Arroyo **

Kathalyn was the village of Arroyo's Chief Elder. She was certainly not the eldest of the village wisemen and wisewomen. Just the one to whom the entire village looked to for leadership in the troubling and hard times ahead. Since her father had disappeared all those years ago she had held the village together with a sharp eye, keen wisdom and despite her frailty, an iron grip. All respected her, including the leaders and councils of the Northern Tribes.

The thirteen village elders sat in her tent, passing round a pipe of rootweed sprinkled with some of Hakunin's special ingredients. The smoke was enough to send Ariella and Phoenix dizzy. Hakunin was well known for his herbal concoctions, many of which had varying effects on the senses of the smoker. The village elders remained steady and calm looking over the two successful twins. The twins felt honoured to be called before the Council of Elders, only the direst circumstances brought the village elders all together for a council meeting.

Phoenix coughed continually as the smoke drifted past him and out of the tent. Ariella did her best to keep her composure and not show the fact that she desperately felt like choking on the vile odour the pipweed produced. She couldn't believe it was finally over. After the trials, the giant ants and radscorpions the dangers and traps, they were both here alive and well. If a little battered and bruised from their ordeal.

"Tomorrow you will leave us, Chosen One. I see your brother is determined to make the journey with you. It is good that you have friends and family who will accompany you. The wastelands are very dangerous in these troubling times. They are full of mutants, beasts and worst of all, slavers. Be weary of all that you meet, the experience of those elders in the village speaks of a mistrustful and treacherous world where anyone is fair game for the strongest gunmen.

We have all had our doubts about our choice for the Chosen One, Ariella. Your wild ways, flighty nature and carefree attitude to all things are not the qualities that will see you safely on your journey for the Holy Geck. Mingan will prove an older and wiser voice on your travels, and his niece and nephew Chitsa and Narg will likely prove invaluable companions on your long journey. I ask that you bring them all back safely Ariella. The village grows by the day, but our numbers need the fruits of technology that the Holy Geck can provide for us.

It is sad that you have refused all attempts to arrange a match with the most eligible tribal leaders of the Northern Tribes. It seems you have decided that you know better than the Council of Elders whom would be an idle match for you. But we shall have to console ourselves that your lack of willingness to marry has left you free to search for the Geck. We know of your fondness for Lucas, but he is needed here. He is our tribal chieftain and warleader when such times are upon us. He will likely miss you, Chosen One. It is the closest you have allowed any of the village males to get near you, and now you are to leave us.

Your journey to Klamath should take you a few days. Look for the trader Vic when you arrive and be weary of the strange folk that inhabit so called civilization. From our years of experience they are not to be trusted. You must succeed, Chosen One. The fate of over three hundred of our people rests in your hands. Arroyo will be a place that all of the Northern Tribes will be able to call home once we have the Holy Geck. If you fail us, Chosen One, we will surely perish. The crops wither, the livestock die in the fields and the young and old grow sick with each passing day. We have placed a heavy burden on you, Chosen One. But you were chosen for a reason. Despite your flaws you are the best choice for this task." The Chief Elder said as she looked seriously upon the twins.

"We will leave first thing in the morning, Chief Elder Kathalyn. We will not disappoint you, if there is a Holy Geck to be found we shall do everything possible to obtain it. I am honoured that you have put so much trust in me."

"We expect nothing less, Chosen One. You have all that I can give you, now you must go and say your goodbyes and rest for your long journey will be both exhausting and dangerous. You must remain weary, Chosen One. Never let yourself be taken by the slavers or I fear we will never see you again and the village will perish with your passing." The Chief Elder continued, even more serious as she spoke her words.

--

Ariella held Lucas tight. She stroked his long dark locks of hair between her fingers, running her hand over his cheek and pulling him to her for a passionate and long kiss that only ended as Lucas pulled away.

"Don't go, let one of the warriors go, Ariella, they should never have asked you." Lucas pleaded.

"I can find it, Lucas. What's the point of sending any of the warriors when the village needs them here to protect Arroyo? You know I want to do this, perhaps I will even agree to marry you once I return."

"I haven't asked you yet."

"No you haven't, so why don't you ask me now, Lucas. Before it's too late."

Lucas let her go, and knelt beside the bed in his tent, taking her hand in his own. "Ariella, daughter of Anastasia and Jacob. Will you do me the great honour of accepting my hand in marriage?"

"Of course I will, the moment we get back we can make all the arrangements. I want all of the Northern Tribes at my wedding."

"You never were satisfied with small and quiet, Ariella."

"I'll only do it once so I want it to be perfect. It will be all the better if I return with the Holy Geck."

"Just be careful, you know what life is like beyond the village. The civilised folk live more like savages than any of the tribes."

"I'll be careful. We have a long life ahead of us, Chieftain Lucas."

"I have something for you, a few things that my family and your family have been saving for this day."

Lucas walked to an old chest and pulled out a thick roll of blanket. He rolled the blanket out on the floor to reveal several items for Ariella's quest. Ariella stood up from the bed and walked over to the items laid out on the floor. There was a worn but sturdy backpack that would be essential for the long journey ahead. She picked up a dusty but otherwise fine pair of old army combat boots, they looked a bit big for her but it was better than travelling barefoot through the desert. There was a pair of waterskins to hold the precious liquid that would otherwise prove her downfall if she could not find it. Water was extremely precious in the wastelands. There was an old combat knife and a small handheld compass. There was a woollen blanket and sleeping bag for the long cold nights ahead. Ariella was drawn to the tattered leather long coat that had been a gift to Lucas's father many years earlier from the Vault Dweller John Rico. The last thing was at least two weeks worth of packet food, simply add hot water and eat. Ariella didn't want to think how old it was or what they must have gone through to find such rare items but she was grateful nevertheless.

"I can't take all of this, Lucas." Ariella protested quietly.

"Of course you can take it. You must take it for the sake of the village. The others have been given what we can spare, you must also accept this gift if you are serious about travelling the wastes. If you were to leave without it how long do you think you would last in such a harsh and terrible environment. It is a gift from all of Arroyo."

"Thank you, Lucas. I will take care of it all. I had wondered how I would travel the desert without even anything to hold my food and water. It will aid me greatly."

"Even your Aunt Morlis contributed. She gave the compass. It will guide you on your journey. Remember Klamath is to the east, it wouldn't be a good start if you were to get lost before you had even begun your travels."

"Funny, I know where to travel. The Chief Elder has given me all the knowledge she can. Although she could not tell me the location of Vault 13."

"If you are meant to find it, and you are… Then you will find it and save our village and all the peoples of the north. You will be talked of as only the Vault Dweller was before you."

"I think I'll like that. Ariella Ravenscroft, the Chosen One of Arroyo, Saviour of the Northern Tribes."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. You know how hard this task will be. The Council of Elders must have thought very highly of you to have given you such a quest."

"I know, but I need to keep my spirits up. It will be the furthest I've ever been from Arroyo simply travelling to Klamath. If our journey takes us further than that town then it could be weeks or even months before I return. I will have you on my mind the whole time we are away."

"And I will think of you while you are gone."

Ariella laughed as he playfully wrestled her to the bed. He lifted her dress over her head and let it fall to the floor. The following hours were precious indeed, they lost themselves in each other, determined to make the most of their last night together.

--

Phoenix couldn't make his mind up. Should he pursue Francesca or Catalina? Lucas's sisters were inseparable and it was driving Phoenix crazy. He had to have one or the other. He'd have taken them both but didn't think they would be accepting of his deepest darkest fantasies. His thoughts drove him wild. He wanted them more than anything.

"Look at him, Fran. He doesn't know which way to turn." Catalina said as Phoenix sat between them.

"I think maybe he's a little shy." Fran said followed by the dirtiest most suggestive giggle he had ever heard.

"I can promise you I am in no way shy. We must hurry if we are to do this."

"Don't you know that rushing a girl is not gentlemanly?" Catalina said laughing at his expression as she suggestively undid the top of her dress.

"I had thought you would both be horrified at the thought of …"

"You'd be surprised what we think about, Phoenix." Fran continued following her sister in undoing the top of her dress until the top of her breasts were visible.

"Then we should waste no more time talking, we have a long night ahead of us."

Phoenix found himself buried between the two sisters. His lips met theirs, first one and then the other. His darkest fantasies were being played out, would they be willing to go all the way, like he had dreamed they would.

--

Mingan was the younger brother of Ariella's Aunt Morlis. He would be leaving behind a pregnant wife and four young children. Christina held him to her, it was their last chance to say farewell before the morning, and they intended to make the most of the night ahead.

"You must return before the baby arrives, Mingan. You can't expect me to bring up our family all alone. What if something happens to you while you are gone? Who will hunt for our family, who will feed us?"

"You know the Council of Elders would make arrangements for you and the family. They would not let you starve while I help to look for the Holy Geck."

"I know you must go, Mingan. The others will need your wisdom to guide on your quest."

"I will return to my family, Christina."

Christina lay back on the bed lifting her dress so that her stomach was bare. Mingan placed his head gently on her stomach listening for the little kicks of life that would occasionally come from inside.

--

"Why must you leave, Chitsa? We are supposed to be getting married. It is all arranged." Jordan insisted in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Because my cousin needs me, the village will continue to suffer unless we find the Holy Geck. Why can't you see that I must do this?" Chitsa insisted firmly, turning her back on Jordan as he went to put his arms around her waist.

"Let one of the warriors go in your place."

"Do you have so little faith in me, Jordan?"

"You are to be my wife, I wish only for you to remain here with me."

"And what of the sick, would you let your young brothers and sisters grow ill because you want to keep me safely tucked away?"

"That is not fair, Chitsa. I do not wish for anyone in the village to grow sick. But I will worry for you while you are out in the wastelands. What horrors are you likely to meet on your travels? I can only guess at the barbarity of many places that you will find. Is it not reasonable that I would want you here with me?"

"I will have Narg and Uncle Mingan to watch over me, and Ariella and Phoenix. We will be fine."

"Narg is too busy chasing my cousin Nadea. His head will be full of empty and hopeless thoughts about how he longs to have her."

"Don't be so sure. My brother has passed the Temple of Trials just like the rest of us. He knows what is at stake otherwise he wouldn't have been allowed to go with us. The Council of Elders has chosen wisely and you should not cast doubts on their wisdom with your spiteful comments."

"I did not mean them to sound spiteful, I only wish you to be safe."

"I know, Jordan. But you must let me do this. I would never forgive you if you tried to stop me going."

"I will not try to stop you, Chitsa. I know how much this means to you." Jordan said as his hands slipped inside her dress and lifted it from her shoulders dropping it to the floor.

Jordan took her hand and led her to the bed. They would share each other one last time before Chitsa left on her quest.

--

Narg was the son of Morlis and the brother of Chitsa. His Uncle Mingan would be accompanying them on the journey into the wastelands. Narg has pursued Nadea for the past couple of years in the vain hope that he would attract the most sought after young woman in the village. After his successful test in the Temple of Trials and the following celebrations Narg had finally got to spend some time alone with Nadea.

"Do you know how long I have waited for this moment, Nadea?"

"I know this isn't what you think it's going to be. I will only sleep with the man I marry, Narg."

"But what of the quest for the Geck? I may never see you again after tonight."

"And that is the very reason I cannot give you what you ask, Narg. I will not be left with your child to bring up alone or the thought that you may die before returning to me."

"Then we will spend the night under the stars in each others arms."

"I had thought you a warrior and a brute, Narg. I had no idea that you could be romantic."

"It is just a night beneath the stars. The moonlight to …"

"You will return, Narg? You won't forget me?"

"I could never forget you, Nadea. You know how long I have waited for this moment."

"But it is not what you wished."

"It is enough, Nadea."

Nadea took his hand in hers as they sat in the fields looking up into the starlit sky.

--

The following morning was one of many tears and farewells. The entire village had turned out to see them leave. Even some of the traders from the Northern Tribes had joined the night's celebrations and now joined their neighbouring tribe in seeing off the Chosen One and her companions.

They walked over the rope bridge traversing the canyon that led to Arroyo. The mood was good and determined. They walked silently until they reached the other side and then turned to wave a final goodbye to friends, family and their fellow tribespeople.

There journey began here, the furthest most of them had ever travelled outside the village. But Mingan knew the way and with Ariella's compass they would find Klamath and the Holy Geck.

--

**The story may be changed to an M rating later on. I'll wait to see if anyone reads it and what they think of the story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The story makes references to one of the mods on the No Mutants Allowed website by Killap, called Killap's Fallout 2 Restoration Project - Version 1.1. I make no claim to the mod or any of the characters mentioned in the mod, but they have been included to make the story a little different from standard Fallout 2. I will also include some of my own characters, places and quests just to add a little more to the storyline. Please Read and Review and let me know what you think and how the story can be improved. **

**Chapter 1:**

**Welcome to Klamath**

After days of travelling with little sign of life except the occasional Brahmin caravan, Ariella was pleased to see the strange sight that met her eyes. The people of the northern tribes, such as those of Arroyo did not travel far beyond the tents of their village and the fields of their meagre crops. The sight of dwellings made of wood and stone was something she had only ever seen in the books handed down through her family from the time of the Vault Dweller, John Rico. He was the one whispered about as the founder of Arroyo and perhaps all the tribes of the north.

They must have appeared a strange sight to the locals of Klamath as they entered the town in their tribal furs and leathers. Although the Vault 13 jumpsuit at least gave Ariella a passing resemblance to the people of Klamath, at least in the sense that they wore normal clothing rather than looking like they had crawled out of the desert. There was no mistaking their journey had been long and arduous. From their dust covered clothes to their aching and blistered feet. The desert heat was as ever unforgiving in its ferocity and only their lifetime among the hunters of their tribe had given them the knowledge they had needed to survive in such harsh conditions.

Before they could even think about finding somewhere to stay for the night and get themselves cleaned up, they had to find the traveller Vic, the one the village elder had been adamant would be able to help them find Vault 13 and possibly the Holy Geck.

Ariella couldn't get Kaga out of her mind. He had been the only problem they had encountered on their journey. He had said the Council of Elders had chosen him as The Chosen One but had cast him out into the wasteland because he was corrupted. Ariella had accepted his challenge and fought him briefly but he had run back into the wastes after her first strike had caught him with a mighty blow. She wondered if he was from one of the other Northern Tribes, because she had never seen him in Arroyo and would have remembered him if had been from her village. There was no point dwelling on the matter. As Mingan had reminded her there were more important matters to deal with. A nagging doubt in the back of her mind told her that she could expect to see Kaga again. She had no idea of when or under what circumstances but she was certain he would not rest until he had taken his revenge on the Council by killing the next person chosen for the task of finding the Holy Geck.

The first sight that struck Ariella was the healthy Brahmin in a fenced off area near the village. It had been a long time since she had seen such a sight, Arroyo had been plagued by drought for almost the past year and the animals were getting sick and dying. She thought the people of Klamath must have been lucky indeed for the spirits to bless them with such bounties as healthy animals, water and crops. Surely Klamath had to be a great place indeed to be granted such bounties.

The next thing that she noticed was that everyone was fully dressed, even the many children running about playing in the streets. The poor villagers of Arroyo made do with what they could turn into clothing from the furs and skins of slaughtered animals. Perhaps Klamath was the wealthiest place in the wastes she thought. It had to be to resemble civilization of old so much. At least she thought this was how it would have once looked, the books in the village were very few and even fewer still spoke of life before the Great War destroyed everything.

Ariella looked to the others as they placed their animal skin sacks on the ground, glad to have finally found somewhere to rest other than the wastes. Chitsa was busy straightening her hair and complaining about the filth that covered her from head to toe. She pulled a broken half of a mirror from her sack and a comb from her pocket and began to comb her hair in the middle of the street. The locals looked at them curiously, although they had all seen many tribals before. Klamath was a hub for the trading of furs and other goods with the Northern Tribes. While traders were welcomed, the village didn't think much to the appearance of bandits or slavers in their quiet little village. Narg seemed to be looking around for something to eat, his gaze settled on the Brahmin as he licked his lips. Phoenix insisted on finding himself a bath and said he wouldn't go any further until he had found one. Mingan rested himself on the wooden fence looking into the Brahmin pen. His only thoughts were of finding the Geck so that he could return to his family.

Ariella noticed an old and slightly wobbly man dressed in raggedy old robes signalling for her to come over and talk to him. She dropped her backpack on the ground next to the others and walked over, curious what the man had to say.

"Hello there, young lady. I haven't seen you around town before. I'm Aldo, the town greeter. It's my job to greet any new strangers that come into town and answer any questions they might have about any of the fine establishments we have here in Klamath. Welcome to Klamath, who might you be?" The man said through slurred speech, Ariella thought he had probably been at the rootwine if his rancid breath was anything to go by.

"My name's Ariella, thanks for welcoming us to Klamath." Ariella replied, unsure of how much use this drunkard could really be. But she was being polite at the moment.

"Well friend, Ariella. It's customary to tip the town greeter in these here parts. Preferably before you start asking questions and such." The man said with a hint of glee at the thought of a few coins for some more beer.

"Well I wouldn't want to go against custom. Would five dollars be enough?" Ariella said, letting him think she was the dumb wastelanders and would be suckered by any old scam. She reasoned that it was worth five dollars to get the local gossip in town, even if it was from a drunken bum.

"Thanks for the money, friend. I'll use it to buy some medicine for my bad throat. Consider yourself officially greeted to the town of Klamath. Do you have any questions about our fair metropolis?" The man said, is face beaming with a big dirty smile as he tucked the money into the folds of his robes. Ariella new exactly what he would spend it on and it had nothing to do with medicine.

"There are a few things I'd like to ask, Aldo. But first of all, have you ever heard of a trader named Vic. He deals in beforetime things. You know really old stuff." Ariella asked hopefully, it would help greatly if she didn't have to search the whole village for him.

"Well now, I haven't seen Vic for a long time, I don't rightly know where he might be. Your best bet is to try the Bathhouse. There's a gal over there by the name of Jenny, her and Vic were pretty close if ya get my meaning, heh, heh, heh. Get my meaning. I can still tell em, I haven't lost my touch." Aldo said with a fit of coughing and laughing at his own extremely feeble attempt at a joke.

"Thankfully, Aldo you're one of kind. Thanks for the information." Ariella said sarcastically.

Mingan approached them, the look on his face said he would have rather been back in Arroyo than anywhere else.

"Did he say anything useful, Ariella?" Mingan asked doubtfully.

"We need to find the bathhouse and speak to a girl named Jenny. I think we need to find somewhere to stay for the night first. I don't fancy another night on the floor. We can try that flophouse over the road." Ariella said gesturing to the building opposite them.

"Bye, Aldo." Ariella said turning away, glad to finally be away from the stench of the town drunk. Aldo didn't waste anytime answering. He was off to the Golden Gecko for more beer.

Ariella walked over to Phoenix, he was leaning on a notice board in the middle of the road. She looked down the notices for anything interesting. There were ads, job notices and a rather primitive drawing. Most of them looked as though they had been there for awhile. She looked at the drawing, it seemed to be a crude drawing of a Brahmin with an x in the middle and Torr wrote underneath. She could only really guess at the meaning.

The next notice was one about refilling a still, if interested she was to go and see someone called Whiskey Bob over at Ma Buckners place. The next notice said something about a Bathhouse and three different types of bath. One was featuring someone called Jenny. That sounded promising and interesting, they were all in the need of a bath after there long journey. For the bathhouse they were to see Big Nosed Sal. Ariella wondered why taking a bath would feature the 'beautiful and talented Jenny' from the Den, wherever that was. Another notice was advertising trade or dollars for gecko pelts, especially golden gecko pelts and to see the owner of the Golden Gecko if interested. Someone called Slim was advertising rats of all things, 'come to Trapper Town and have all ya can eat.' The next message caught Ariella's eye and brought a smile to her face. Vic the trader was advertising old stuff for trade. His place was supposedly east of Downtown. At least a few things were slowly falling into place. The next ad was for a missing person by the name of Smiley, posted by Ardin Buckner. The rest advertised various places and trade offers for the various establishments in Klamath.

"It looks good, sis. We should be able to find this Vic in no time." Phoenix said as he read through the notices.

"I don't know, Aldo said Vic hadn't been around for awhile. Maybe he's out of town." Ariella said.

"Let's see if this Buckner woman has any rooms for the night." Mingan said as he walked over to his sack and picked it up, slinging it over his shoulder and heading towards the rundown flophouse.

Mingan watched as his four nieces and nephews picked up their sacks and backpacks and he waited until they started walking towards Ma Buckners. He fell in line at the back hoping this wasn't going to be a long search for the trader Vic.

Ariella walked through the door into the flophouse. A sturdy, well built woman in her fifties stood looking at the group as they entered. Ariella smiled as the woman gave her a friendly and welcoming look, but she looked tired and concerned.

"Hello there, my names Ardin Buckner, this is my place." The woman said in a friendly tone.

"Hello, I'm Ariella …" Ariella replied but was cut off before she could continue.

"You've just come in from out of town haven't you? Did you happen to see a trapper by the name of Smiley outside of town? It's been far too long that he's been gone. I should have never let him go off on that fool quest of his." Ardin said as her smile disappeared and was replaced by a worried almost pitiful look of sadness.

"No, I'm sorry to say we hardly saw anyone during our journey." Ariella explained.

"You see I do worry about him so much. We were getting really serious you see. And I had thought I'd finally persuaded him to settle down here with me. But he insisted on going on one last quest before we were to be married." Ardin said as her eyes began to fill with tears.

"A quest, what kind of quest?" Ariella asked, suddenly finding herself interested in the woman's tale.

"Well he called it a quest. He said he thought he knew where all the golden geckos were coming from. He thought it might be some kind of magical spring, hidden cave or vault of some kind."

"It sounds like he could be in trouble if he found what he was looking for."

"I know. He's two weeks late already. I'm worried that I might never see him again."

"I don't have a lot of time to spare, Ardin. But I'd like to help. What if I was to go and look for him? Do you know where abouts he was going to go?"

"Oh thank you so much. Do you have a map? I can mark off where he was talking about looking for the geckos. Please find him. I miss him so much, he isn't much but I still love him more than I thought I could."

"I'll do what I can, Ardin."

"What else can I do for you, Ariella?"

"I was wondering if you were the right person to talk to about local news and events. You know, like what's going on in town."

"I don't really take much notice these days. What with Smiley missing and the business to take care of. I've enough to worry about. You should ask my daughter Maida."

"Alright I'll do that next."

"Is there anything else?"

"We need a room for the night."

"One room for the five of you. Well ok, seeing as how you're going to look for Smiley. Twenty five dollars."

"That's great, Ardin. We didn't want to spend another night outside." Ariella said as she counted off the dollars and handed them to Ardin.

"Who do I see about trading, Ardin?"

"Ask Maida, she'll be able to help you."

"Thanks, Ardin you've been a great help. I'll start looking for Smiley in the morning." Ariella said as she began walking over to Maida who was stood at the other side of the room.

"Here's your key for the room. It's the one just behind us." Ardin said as she handed the key to Ariella.

"We'll get settled in while you find out more, Ariella. Give me your backpack." Mingan said as he ushered the others towards the room.

Ardin's daughter was a sturdily built young woman in her late twenties. She seemed to have a permanent scowl across her face. She was quite attractive underneath the grim expression but her manner made her look plain.

Ariella looked around the room. A strange looking bold headed man with a bone through his nose caught her eye. This was certainly a strange place she decided but it would prove useful if they could find Vic. But first she had some trading to do.


End file.
